Recent
Earthquakes
USGS stopped producing its earthquake maps in format that can be easily
incorporated on a web page. The effect is that it has made
earthquake information more difficult to access and distribute.

If you want to suggest a link, please post to host@disastercenter.com
The people affected will not
lack
clothing for long and more will be donated than will ever be
used. It will end up in the local landfill, because there is
no
place to store it. If you are going to collect clothing have
a
garage sale with the proceeds going to the victims. Be
responsible, if you collect money get proof that it was donated and
make evidence available to those who gave. Consider
volunteering
or donating with Disaster
Relief Agencies and Nongovernment Organizations.WHO's CRED is reporting
that
in 2010 a total of 385 natural disasters killed more than 297,000
people worldwide, affected over 217.0 million others and caused US$
123.9 billion of economic damages. Annual
Disaster Statistical Review 2010: (PDF 4.2 MB) The Numbers and Trends.
Brussels: CRED; 2011-Guha-Sapir
D, Vos F, Below R, with
Ponserre S.

There is only one weather authority in the United States, and that's
the National
Weather
Service For emergency information consult with your local NWS
office or your local emergency management agency. If you want
to suggest a link, please post to host@disastercenter.com

SaferProducts.gov:
A New World for Consumers, Businesses, and Researchers -- This is a
site that the US Chamber of Commerce wants the government to shut down.
Take a
Look...

The Disaster
Center
hosts a Talking
About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages
The CDC has recently come out with its Social Media: Preparedness 101: Zombie
Apocalypse
Guide and announced a forthcoming video contest. The idea
that
all these efforts are concerned with is that you and your family be
prepared for disasters. In our estimation the most important
disaster readiness tool is a common contact person outside of the
disaster area. Someone who, if conditions are so bad that
household members can't go home, that you might move in with.
After disasters most people do not stay in shelters.
They
are sheltered by relatives and friends. So what we are saying is that
the greatest tool after a disaster is a friend; get one; be
one.
The Red Cross has
created a teaching guide -- Children
in disasters- Games and guidelines to engage youth in risk
reduction

Our work of
mitigating disasters involves
the
preparation for them, responding to them, and recovering from them.
In an ideal world we would be working on ways to mitigate
risk and threat before disasters
happen.
If
you have any disaster reports or questions
please post a message to
the Disaster
Center Blog.

The
three companies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian) have created a
central Web site where you can order your credit report
(www.annualcreditreport.com).
You also can order it by calling (877)
322-8228.You
do not have to pay to receive the report, nor do you have to pay for
any service or product as a condition of receipt.
The National Do Not Call Registry gives
you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at
home. If they do, you can file a complaint
at https://www.donotcall.gov.
You can register your home or mobile phone for free. Your registration
will be effective for five years.

Here
are some tips you can use to avoid becoming
a victim of cyber fraud:

Do
not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.

Do
not click on links contained within an
unsolicited e-mail.

Be
cautious of e-mail claiming to contain
pictures in attached
files; the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known
senders. Scan the attachments for viruses if possible.

Avoid
filling out forms contained in e-mail
messages that ask for personal information.

Always
compare the link in the e-mail with the
link to which you
are directed to determine if they match and will lead you to a
legitimate site.

Log
directly onto a store’s website
identified in the e-mail
instead of linking to it from an unsolicited e-mail. If the e-mail
appears to be from your bank, credit card issuer, or other company you
deal with frequently, your statements or official correspondence will
provide the proper contact information.

Contact
the actual business that supposedly
sent the e-mail to verify if the e-mail is genuine.

If
you are asked to act quickly, it may be a
scam. Fraudsters often create a false sense of urgency.

Verify
any requests for personal information
by calling the
business or financial institution using the phone numbers listed on a
billing statement or credit card.

If you have received a
suspicious e-mail, file a complaint
with the Internet Crime Complaint Center: www.ic3.gov.